Finally, the knot came undone and the skirt fell with a soft whooshing noise that was eaten up by her sweet moan as he kneeled in front of her, slowly drawing her down until she was on her knees as well. With gentle pressure at her shoulders he had her laying on her back, her body like warm honey beneath his, responding to the smallest touch.
He crawled down her body trailing feather light kisses as he went, stripping off his own clothes much less carefully than he did hers. He couldn’t wait to taste all of her, to touch all of her, to feel her body trembling beneath his. Finally, Adrien just couldn’t wait any longer, moving his body over hers as Morgan writhed beneath him, her arms and gemstone eyes begging him to satisfy them both.
He held back a cry of pleasure as he teased them both, running his hard length where she was wet and ready for him. More than ready by the way her hips bucked and she called out his name. He held back for a moment more, letting the ruthless desire build until they were both burning out of control. Then, and only then did he lower himself over her, pressing their bodies together in that age old dance that had them both crying out.
Morgan moaned his name out into the night as he sank into her inch by inch. Every movement he made, she responded to, almost as if they were one being moving together simultaneously. Adrien could tell he wouldn’t last long. There was something about her that just tipped him over the edge every time.
He leaned down, nipping at her throat and she groaned loud and low in his ear. The noise had him growling right back and every animal instinct rose up inside him. In one quick movement he pulled back, ignoring her plea as he flipped her onto her stomach, dragging her hips back until they met his.
Heaven washed over him as he sank deep inside her in one long thrust that had Morgan crying out beneath him. He could see the blanket clenched in both hands as he increased his pace, soon driving fast and hard. It was all he could do to keep up with the raging desire inside him to claim her as his own and he leaned down, gently biting the sensitive area between neck and shoulder just as he felt her tense beneath him as Morgan’s climax hit her.
Every muscle clenched down and he had no choice but to follow after her into bliss. Everything he had inside of him poured out, every bit of love and caring and tenderness and slowly they came back to earth to find themselves in a sweaty heap by the still burning bonfire.
Chapter 9
Adrien awoke exhausted the next morning, but feeling more alive than he ever had. Memories of the night before flashed through his mind and he still couldn’t believe quite believe it. He had never experienced anything like it. The way his animal half had merged, connected in a way that had never happened before. It had been incredible.
He rolled to his side on the bed. They had eventually made their way inside, long after the fire had burned down. Well, the bonfire, anyways. Even after last night he could already feel his body tightening again, ready for another round. Adrien shook his head at himself. He knew Morgan would be sore, and he wanted to let her get a little more rest.
As gently as he could, he slipped out from underneath the light blanket and tiptoed down the stairs, grabbing his discarded jeans and a t-shirt as he went. He couldn’t’ keep the stupid grin off of his face as he put the coffee on to brew and stood looking over the sun soaked wilderness through the kitchen window. He couldn’t imagine anything better than the days and nights spent here with Morgan and he also couldn’t imagine not waking up with her by his side.
He shook his head as he poured a cup of the steaming hot coffee. There was no way she would be ready to move in with him, even though he was itching to ask her. Any reason to get her closer to him, to be able to spend more time together. Especially at night. Adrien’s grinned widened as he thought of the night before. A perfect example of why they should live together.
He was about to run upstairs to start convincing her when his cell phone went off, buzzing from the back pocket of his jeans. With a sigh he answered it and was immediately glad he did.
“Hey, Adrien, this is Bobby with White’s Construction,” The deep voice on the other end said.
“Hi, Bobby. What can I do for you? Is everything going alright at the bar?”
“Yeah, yeah. It’s going great, actually. I wanted to let you know that we are ahead of schedule and should be finished with the reconstruction and repairs this afternoon if you want to come out and see it for yourself.”
Excitement shattered through him and he was beaming as he quickly said yes, and told Bobby what time to expect him. He couldn’t wait to see the new bar. The old place had needed a serious renovation and the fire had given him a perfect excuse to get all the things done that he’d always wanted to.
“What are you smiling about?” Morgan’s voice came from behind him just before her arms followed, wrapping tightly around his waist.
“That was the head contractor about the bar. He says the repairs should be done today!” Morgan was silent for a long moment so he turned around, twisting in her arms until he was facing her.
“I know I should be happy. I am happy,” It sounded like she had to force the words out, “But…at the same time, I don’t want to give this up. It’s been heaven. Pure heaven.” Adrien pulled her close until she was resting her check against his chest.
“I understand. I feel the same way, but the thing is,” He pulled her back so she could see the sincerity shining in his eyes, “This doesn’t have to end when we leave here, in fact, I don’t want it to.”
“Me either.” Morgan said firmly. Raising up on tip toes she gave him the sweetest kiss before smiling up at him. “Well, you better get going if you want to make it to the bar and back before dinner.” Her smile melted into a sultry grin, “and dessert.”
Adrien kissed her again, the urge too strong to resist before he pulled back, grabbing the keys to his jeep.
“I’ll be back before you know it!” He said with a smile and Morgan just waved as he ran out through the front door and jumped into the driver’s side. Within moments he had the engine purring and was rumbling his way back down the long, winding drive and headed back towards Kingstown.
As he drove an ache started to form right in the middle of his chest, as if he had left a physical part of himself back at the cabin with Morgan. Absently, he rubbed at the spot over his t-shirt, trying to focus on the job ahead of him instead of what he really wanted, which was the woman he had left waiting back there.
He continued driving down the winding path, his mind so full of different thoughts it was hard to make sense of them all. On the one hand, he was ecstatic that the bar was coming together, and quicker than even he had anticipated, because he loved that bar. In an odd way, it had become his home over the past few years.
But on the other, he really did know exactly how Morgan felt. There was a sense of bittersweet loss that this magic time was coming to an end, and he hated it, even though he had meant what he’d said to her. It meant the end of them, and he didn’t want it to either. The more he thought of it, the surer he was. As soon as he got back to the cabin he would ask her if she wanted to move in together. Sure, his apartment was small and was above a bar, but on the positive side, it would mean a much shorter commute to work.
The scenery around him began to change the farther away form the cabin he got, but Adrien didn’t notice. He was still rubbing at that spot on his chest and every mile he drove seemed to make it grow larger and larger until his whole body was vibrating with the urgent sense to turn around. To go back. He was slowing the jeep before he had even registered the thought, but the feeling was so intense he couldn’t ignore it. And then it flashed through his mind like lighting. Something was wrong. He needed to get to the cabin, now! He needed to get back to Morgan.
Adrien slowed down just enough to turn the jeep around and head back, speeding down the road he just driven on. He didn’t understand the feelings coursing through him, or the strange connection that had caused it, but he knew that something bad was happening. He could feel that all the
way to his bones and it had his blood running ice cold through his veins. It froze solid when he finally arrived back at the cabin to see another truck parked haphazardly out in front. Adrien didn’t recognize it and barely waited to through the jeep into park before leaping out and running towards the front door.
He stopped dead in his tracks at the scene before him, the last thing he expected to see. Harris, that damned old bear sat smug as a cat with cream in one of the chair, his booted feet propped up on top of the small dining table. It took Adrien a moment to get past the shock of seeing Harris there to see Morgan and the second he saw her expression his heart sank like a lead weight in his chest. Her eyes screamed at him, boiling over with anger and confusion, and above all of that, a hint of fear that almost did him in. Because he could see it in her gaze. She was afraid of him.
“Adrien?” Her voice trembled on his name, cutting him deeper than any wound ever could.
“Morgan, I don’t what he’s told you but–.”
“I don’t really know myself, it’s all crazy. Every words he’s said is absolutely insane, but…” Her words trailed off as she looked at him, her expression softening only for a moment before she took a step away from him, backing up until she had reached the counter. “It can’t be true, Adrien. What he said, none of it can be true.”
“Oh, I’m afraid it is my dear.” Harris drawled the words from his perch and Adrien growled, low and mean.
“Shut up, Harris. You’ve done enough damage, just stay out of this.” Adrien said, inwardly cringing at speaking to the tribe’s leader that way. He hated that despite all of the years those instincts were still drilled into him, inescapable.
“Adrien, please, tell me it’s crazy. Tell me he’s just a crazy old man who made up terrible lies about you…about us.”
“Go on, Adrien, tell her.” Harris smirked at him and Adrien barely resisted the urge to plant his fist in his face, tribe leader or tribe leader. But he knew he was just avoiding the real problem in front of him. He turned to face Morgan, steeling himself for her reaction. Out of all of the ways he had imagined revealing the truth about himself, none of them had played out like this. Not even in his worse nightmares.
“I…I can’t, Morgan, I–.”
“He can’t because it is the truth, plain and simple. Adrien’s been lying to you this whole time. About who he is. About what he is. A beast. A monster...”
“No, I’m not–.” Adrien tried to interrupt but Harris just kept speaking, his awful words cutting like knifes.
“…and no matter how hard he tries to pretend otherwise, it’s still the truth. Because he did the worst thing anyone can do. He mated you without you even knowing! Do you know what that means? Your lives are bound together for the rest of your lives, you think you love him but it’s just the mating bond! He lied to you, he – Ah!” Harris’ speech was cut off, stopped by a flying sauce pan.
“Get out! Both of you, just get out of here. Leave me alone.” Morgan yelled the words just as she picked up another pot, this time even bigger than the first and threw it at Adrien. He barely ducked out of the way before another, and then another came at them. His heart shattering in his chest, he turned away, running back out through the front door followed by Harris.
He immediately turned on the old bear, dragging him a few more yards away because he didn’t want Morgan to hear the beat down he was about to give. She really would think he was a monster then.
Before he could even throw the first punch, the sound of an engine roaring to life had him turning. He watched as his jeep pulled away, Morgan behind the wheel and even from that distance he could make out the tears dripping down her cheeks.
“Damn it!” He growled fiercely, all the rage and pain boiling out of him and he turned to confront Harris only to find that he had taken advantage of his distraction to race to his own truck. He stuck his head out as Adrien raced toward him, intent on stopping him once and for all, but Harris was already taking off down the road. His words were carried back on the breeze to sting Adrien’s ears.
“The throne is mine, cub!” Adrien just shook his head. Harris was dead wrong if that was he thought he really wanted. He didn’t want some stupid throne. He wanted his mate back. His expression hardened, his eyes burning molten gold in the sunlight. And no matter what it took, he would get her back.
Chapter 1
Adrien wandered the cabin aimlessly, his amber eyed glazed and not seeing anything but bittersweet memories. Over there in the corner is where they had sat, Morgan pulled into his lap, laughing as she tried to catch a stray beam of sunlight that had fluttered through the aged glass window. He had kissed her then, and he could still feel that kiss, haunting him. He could feel every kiss, every touch, like ghosts.
His heart broke all over again as he pictured her, pictured both of them, so happy. Adrien felt like he would never laugh again. He could so clearly see the fear and anger on her face when she’d found out the truth about him. About what he was. About what he had done, mating her without her knowledge. He’d known it was a foolish thing to do, had known it since that very first night but he couldn’t go back and change things. And he wouldn’t even if he could, a small voice whispered. Because despite everything, he still loved her. He loved her more than he had ever loved anything in his entire life and now that he had been with her, he couldn’t imagine living his life without her. Without his mate.
He paced around the cabin, trying to block out the memories that kept coming at him but he couldn’t keep them at bay, it was just too much for him to fight. Every image of her, ever remembered moment cut like a knife until he had to turn away, fleeing upstairs. Adrien didn’t even stop to look in the bedroom they had shared, but instead continued all the way down to the small study at the end of the hallway.
For the first time in long time, Adrien wished he had his father there so he could ask for his advice. So he could ask him what he should do. He had never imagined things getting so complicated and he just didn’t know how to untangle the mess that he had made of the entire situation. Adrien slammed his hands down on the desk, reveling in the feel of the shock wave of pain that echoed up through his arms. He couldn’t believe he had screwed things up so badly with Morgan, just when it was going so great between them. He had been about to reveal everything to her, the truth about his secret animal half, introduce that part of himself to her because he had been so sure she would accept him no matter what. Even if he did occasionally have a little more fur than normal.
Adrien shook his head. What a joke. The whole thing had been a joke, and now, he felt like he was just the punchline. He slammed the desk again, looking over as something rattled off the edge to land with a cracking noise on the hard wood floors. He leaned over to pick the object up, turning over the picture frame with a sharp inhale. It was the same photo that Morgan had brought him on that first day, the one with his father Dominic, looking as stern and serious as ever and him, just barely five years old in the picture.
He traced the old image, wondering at the emotion that swept over him. It had been years since he’d missed his father, convincing himself that he hadn’t needed anyone anyways, but knowing even still that it wasn’t true. His father’s gold eyes, so much like his own stared back at him as if to tell him not to give up, not to give in no matter how dark things seemed.
Adrien shook his head. It was only a flight of fancy. His father had barely taken the time to speak more than two words to him as a child, always so wrapped up in his responsibilities to the tribe that always seemed to take precedent over those he had to his own son.
He threw the picture frame back on the top of the wooden desk, noticing the broken glass towards the bottom. With a sigh, he turned away. It was so much a symbol of his own life, his own failings. Adrien’s gaze swept the massive bookcase that lined the wall, his saddened gaze glazing past the brightly colored bindings, some leather, some fabric, but all looked old. Older than he was, even.
Unbidden, the long ago memorie
s rose like ghosts all around him as he stood, surrounded by the remnants of a past life. A life that didn’t belong to him, had never really belonged to him. Against his will, he remembered that tragic night so long ago. Coming home from yet another dinner spent at the Fisher’s house because his father had been too busy to take care of him. By that point he had been almost seventeen and had convinced himself that it didn’t matter. That he didn’t need his father anyways because he was an adult. Hah.
Adrien shook his head, remembering not only the heartbreaking events of that day but also how unbelievably naive he had been. He had grown up believing his father was a mountain of a man, unstoppable. An impenetrable fortress. He had learned differently that night.
The image was burned in the recesses of his memory, where he couldn’t exorcise it no matter how hard he tried. His father’s lifeless body, laying motionless in front of the house that had once been his home. The mob of people surrounding him. They had been angry because his father had demanded change, and they had turned on the son before Adrien had even had a chance to realize what was happening. He hadn’t even had a chance to say goodbye.
He looked up, blinking his eyes hard against the sting of moisture that threatened there. Adrien looked everywhere, anywhere but at the terrible memories playing through his mind. He pictured Morgan then, hoping to ease the pain slicing through him but instead it just grew sharper, stabbing even deeper. What was he going do? How in the hell was he going to fix this? Because there was no question in his thoughts. He had to fix it. He couldn’t live without Morgan, without his mate. It was as if a piece of himself was missing and he would never be whole again without her.
BAD BOY ROMANCE: DIESEL: Contemporary Bad Boy Biker MC Romance (Box Set) (New Adult Sports Romance Short Stories Boxset) Page 63